Tracking the Tigers with MLB.com beat writer Jason Beck.

Tuesday: Jackson scratched from lineup

The Tigers posted a lineup just before batting practice with Austin Jackson back in the leadoff spot in center field. He was going to take full batting practice, run the bases and shag fly balls as a final test. Shortly after that lineup went up, Jackson was scratched and a new lineup was posted. The Tigers are hitting as I type this, and Jackson isn’t out there, so this presumably isn’t just a precaution.

Well when Boesch and Avila hit it sure helps.
But, Porcello is gonna have a tough day. Hie has to face 8 LHB in this lineup and his own hitters are 1st pitch swinging a lot. There are going to be innings where he will be dog tired after his team bats.
This is one area that drives me crazy and one area the Lloyd should have some influence.

5th inning another defensive miscue allows a wild pitch and because Alex couldn’t locate it another Indian run. Meanwhile Tigers continue to strand runners. Problem is Jimmenez racked up pitches, he bent but didn’t break and if you don’t get to him, the Indian pen is really really good. Wasting those opportunities is incredibly bad.

I didn’t get too exicited on the AA HR. Why? Because I didn’t and don’t think we will win out in this game.
The Jekyll and Hyde batting approach is too weird to win. So much 1st pitch swinging even from guys who don’t normally do that.
Ubaldo has given up 6 walks and we don’t know how to take advantage. Even with the walks we have relatively easy innings resulting to bail this guy (who shold be in the dugout by now) out. It’s absurd.
We have a ball team theat can be ahead a couple of runs but you know that the offense will still die and give life to the opposition. I hope we don’t start playing like this against the Indians like we do with the White Sox.
Horrible hitting.No continuity, no team play. The beat goes on.
3-3 now and we’ll be lucky to put another run on the board IMO.

Hope your wrong, but I can’t say I disagree unfortunately. Allowing lead off hits, stolen bases and wild pitches are the calling card of this game. And get again Porcello is keeping the ball up. He is just horrible, and as I speak Porcello has a throwing error to first. Again it must be against the law for the Tigers to even try to win 2 in a row, Geez!

Left him in too long Leyland. Everyone else knows what’s going to happen except you and your staff.
17 more games to go against Cleveland and it looks like we have created a team that simply plays with an inferiority complex.

Porcello needs to go away until he figures something out, he doesnt give hs team a chance to win, always too far behind the eight ball with him. I know he is young but I am beginning to wonder if he will ever put it together?

How long do we going like this before someone asks the question, would anyone but Jim be better fornthis team? I dont think its all his fault. But it’s alot easier to replace one guy than an entire team.

Well Leyland is the manager. He had to see that Porcello was up, he did not have a sharp sinker. You don’t wait for trouble to warm up the lefty when you can see the writing on the wall.
Listening to radio now. Price is saying a lot of the same stuff as we have been and seems equally as frustrated.
He’s right . we let Jimenez off the hook completely. We’ve been doing that kind of stuff all year but it is now not early in the season.
I don’t like our ball team much at this stage.

This game was lost when we went to sleep immediately after the Avila HR. The team seems to think that a one-off event is all they need to do.
And I am getting so sick of no offense and no approach to a proper at bat.
What is Young doing swinging at the 1st pitch every time in every situation? That’s plain dense. Now Boesch and Dirks are doing the same thing. These are guys who can RUN!!! You need to get them on base.
Young is less than one-dimensional. He has to go. If I had my choice between Raburn and Young–I’d take Raburn. That’s how pointless it seems to have him in our lineup.
I don’t know how it gets done but this team needs a shakeup. If Leyland isn’t going to do it then Dombrowski should.
Not fair to Tiger fans who so loyally support this team. All those fans with their fanniies in the seats (unlike Cleveland and other cities) and they are subjected to this?

Look at this Cleveland team. They take walks, they run hard, they steal bases. They are in 1st place. By they way–they are not hitting a whole lot but they are winning at a better pace than Mr. Leyland’s team.

This is the Bad New Bears.
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A sure handed 2nd basemen cant catch a ball.
A catcher who cant make a throw without bouncing it.
A rightfielder who cannot make a running catch (but he can throw a seed to the plate, go figure)
A pitcher infatuated with constantly throwing to 1st and 2nd and eventually threw one a way.
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This is a bad baseball team. These guys are not doing there jobs.
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They look tight. They look like they are not having fun. They look like they cannot handle the pressure. A team not loose and a team not prepared is a reflection of their leader. Time is up. JL has to go. They need a new voice. Results may not change but it will get attention.
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Winning 2 in a row is a mental block right now. Can you believe this? A team that is supposed to win 90 plus games has gone over a month without winning even 2 straight. It is ridiculous.
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— Bob

This was their worst game of the year. They’re actually getting worse, hard as that is to believe.
And this has been Leyland’s worst job of managing since he got here. I vowed to get off his case after we won the division, but I can’t just lie about it. This is his poorest work to date. That’s just the way it is.
We’ve gone from a division winner to a club that might require wholesale changes. It’s unbelievable. It’s not losing games, it’s the quality of play and the quality of managing and coaching. Totally unacceptable.
Anyone want to come along and say they’ll turn it around, go ahead, but there’s no denying what we’re seeing right here, right now.

You are right, Rich. I was one of the people saying 2 weeks ago to not worry; that they were 12 – 17 last year. But this has been brutal. Where is the leadership? From the players and the coaches. It is very very disappointing because they have the talent to be way better than this.
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— Bob

Can’t argue with anything being said tonight. I think they are actually worse than their record shows and if it wasn’t for Verlander they would be that bad. A lot of guys seem to be mailing it in, including the manager. Prince hasn’t gotten it done with guys on which means more teams will start walking Cabby to get to him. Victor seemed to excel in those situations last year. Not much fun to watch right now.

GK, you are right. You cannot blame Leyland for the actions on the field. But why are they not ready to play? Why do they not have intensity? Why are they tight? Why are they waiting to lose? Why does he run Putkonen out their for a 2nd inning when the game is still close? Why did he run Porcello back out there after the 5th when pitches were up all night? He had the feeling last week with Smyly; did he not have the same Spidey senses tonight?
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It is a reflection of their leader. I sound like a broken record but JL is not a good manager when his team has high expectations?
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— Bob

Jim & Dan telling it like it is. Losing to 2 crummy teams at home, looking unenergetic tonight. Indians had more energy and didn’t give up. Can’t get hits when they need
them. Jiminez nearly handing them the game with all those walks and they can’t take advantage. Dan: they just don’t look right.

I don’t think Porcello has been well served by the coaching he’s received at the big league level. I can see why they brought him up in 2009, but he really missed a large period of development by being up in the league where results is all that matters. They’ve revamped his style so many times he probably can’t even remember how he used to approach pitching.

Bob, I agree! Leyland does not know how to manage a pitching staff. Cabrera lets a ball go by for strike 3! Fielder swings at a 3-1 pitch and hits a lazy ground ball to short. I would sit both those guys next game. I do not care who they are! Who is in charge! Go tigers!

Wait a minute, we’re giving Leyland a free pass? You can’t be serious. He has as much to do with this as the flailing players on the field. It’s a team, and that includes management. Nobody gets off scott free. They’ve ALL failed.

Not giving anyone a free pass, but at some point these people have to do their job on the field. He can’t pitch, he can’t hit and he cant field or them. Leyland only has the players he is handed. Porcello is AWEFUL, the hitters can’t seem to get anything done consistently. I’d like to know what you’d all have done differently. Putkonen, but he actually didn’t give up a run, take Porcello out sooner, ( maybe) take out all the hitters? Because none of them have much to be proud of?

Not sure what Leyland could of done, except maybe not pitch Porcello anymore. But everyone agreed they liked the lineup tonight? But the hitters don’t hit, the fielders don’t field, and the pitcher stinks, what is he supposed to do?

Myself, I’m talking about the entire season to date, not just tonight’s game. This club is not prepared to play, not prepared to do the work necessary to win ballgames. That’s on both the manager/coaches and the players. All of them.

I never know what people need, by not prepared to play? Did he tell Porcello to keep his pitches up instead of down? Did they not have film going for hitters? Did they not have batting practice? I’m not trying to be contrary and I don’t always agree with all decisions, but he can’t play for them?

Take a look at the split of Cabreara and Fielder. They are hitting. in the clutch , with runners on base. They lack power and doubles but keep hitting for avg. Both were over 400 last week.The last at bat today was bad for both. But still the batter who SO badly is 3rd in the American league in RBIs.But only Dirks is there to score until Jackson is back ( He has better OPS than Cabrera).
Below did a great job as usual. You cant win with two rookies there but both are better than Porcello. Put the latter in the bullpen or send him to AAA again.Allow him to use his speed. He was the real first pick because he was flamethrower( DD liked him for that of course) but they made him a sinker pitcher and put the worst defense in MLB behind him
Avila must rest twice a week or go to DL.
People like Boesch but his career numbers are the same of Raburn. One hits until ASG. The other after.I thought last year that Jackson deserved the Golden Glove since the winner play in a sandbox. He deserves it again . He must catch for 3 OF at the same time.
DY, he is getting more walks than ever. So bad is his career´s OBP.
Don Kelly is a good replacement but you cant bat him below 9th. The problem is. There are four players that cant bat other than 9th.
The problem is Leyland.They need a new manager. One that dont plug the replacement in the place of the replaced. He had today Santiago leading off by accident. Im still waiting to see Santiago in the third spot or Kelly in the fourth.
They need too a 2b and Marte back. Send Plutonium to the Instructional league

If the interviews are any indication, they all seem fine with how things are going. In fact, I wondered if I’d watched a different game entirely. Of course, it’s different when it’s your job vs being a fan looking for a little pumping up to make his/her own work life easier. How strange it would be to give interviews after every workday. I’d probably sound like they do.
At any rate, we have the two games in Cleveland, followed by a trip to Minnesota to play the resurgent Twins, then four games at Fenway. Could easily be six games under .500 by next week. And that’s what will happen if they don’t elevate their game.

I think what it comes down to here, it we are all disappointed, mad and are looking for answers and wondering why these guys with this amount of talent can’t seem to put it together on a regular basis.

Quintin Berry, having labored 7 years in the minors (42 games at AAA) will start in center tomorrow. Doesn’t hit much but has speed. The question is: will JL bat him leadoff?
Speaking of leadoff, you see the way Santiago worked that walk tonight in the 9th when we needed baserunners? Ramon hasn’t played nearly enough so far. Too many “stars” in the lineup and not enough ballplayers.

I’m afraid none of the above solutions will work.
The only thing left is to start docking their salary. Staff and players to give 1% back to Illitch for every 5 losses…..
That might get their attention.

I want one guy to come out and say Yes, we are frustrated and we have to figure something out because we are not playing good. I would respect that so much. I really hate to be negative – I bleed the Tigers and hate dogging my own team. I am very, very frustrated right now. I only saw highlights last night luckily -the play by Boesch and Santiago on defense were ridiculous. I know errors happen, but those were very tough to take. Sure BB redeemed himself with that throw, but that did not save or win the game for us, we were already lost at that point.

I want to see spark, I want to see emotion, if they need someone to come and give them some rah, rah, rah I will gladly do it, it isn’t working yet from my couch!

Come on, let’s get our 2 in a row the next 2 games against the Tribe and prove to your fans you are the team you all say you are.

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